The Life of the Bee 



that, to the alcohol, are due the children 

 whom you see there : the dwarf, the one 

 with the hare-lip, the others who are 

 knock-kneed, scrofulous, imbecile. All 

 of them, men and women, young and old, 

 have the ordinary vices of the peasant. 

 They are brutal, suspicious, grasping, and 

 envious ; hypocrites, liars, and slanderers ; 

 inclined to petty, illicit profits, mean in- 

 terpretations, and coarse flattery of the 

 stronger. Necessity brings them to- 

 gether, and compels them to help each 

 other ; but the secret wish of every indi- 

 vidual is to harm his neighbour as soon 

 as this can be done without danger to 

 himself. The one substantial pleasure of 

 the village is procured by the sorrows of 

 others. Should a great disaster befall one 

 of them, it will long be the subject of 

 secret, delighted comment among the rest. 

 Every man watches his fellow, is jealous 

 of him, detests and despises him. While 

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